TWO RIVERS TRAIL- PHASE II

Union Pacific Railroad Crossing (Existing Conditions)

Two Rivers Trail (Proposed)

The Two Rivers Trail Phase II project will provide a 2.4 mile long multi-use path between Sutter's Landing Park and H Street, by Sacramento State. The trail will provide residents of River Park and East Sacramento a safe, convenient, and protected path into downtown Sacramento. The overall vision is to eventually have the trail connect to the Sacramento River Parkway and create a continuous trail system along both sides of the Sacramento and American Rivers. In addition, the project will environmentally clear the next phase of the trail between Sutter's Landing Park and the Sacramento Northern Bike Trail.

Design

Preliminary Design

The trail is currently in the preliminary design phase. This preliminary design is used to determine potential environmental impacts. In this effort, the team has analyzed multiple design alternatives, including levee top, levee toe, and an intermediate slope design. Due to restrictions imposed by flood protection agencies, we have identified the levee toe as the preferred design:

Over the portion of the levee that does not have a toe between the levee and high water mark, the trail alignment and configuration was developed in close cooperation with flood protection agencies. Based on the collaborative efforts, we have obtained support from the flood protection agencies for construction of the trail on the slope of the levee. This trail would be incised into the levee above the river’s maximum flow elevation:

Final Design

Final Designwill begin after the environmental document is adopted by the City Council.

Public Input

The design team encourages comments from the public. When comments are received, our designers consider them, and attempt to incorporate them into the trail design. With comments already received, the team has already developed options for the trail such as reducing the paved width to discourage high speeds, adding additional shoulder width for pedestrians uncomfortable on the paved trail, and potentially reducing the overall width to reduce the footprint of the trail:

History

The Two Rivers Trail (Phase II) has been part of the overall evolution of the American River Parkway. The project in its current form began to take shape in 2001 when the City had a Concept Plan Report created.

Benefits

Safety

The Two Rivers trail will integrate concepts of crime prevention through environmental design (commonly abbreviated as CPTED). The enthusiastic usage of this reach will increase "eyes on the trail." According to the National Recreation and Parks Association, and our own parks and law enforcement staff, bike trails tend to reduce crime by cleaning up landscape and attracting people who use the trail for recreation and transportation.

Public Health

Surveys of City residents has shown a majority of respondents will increase their activity, and a significant number of respondents are more likely to use the trail to commute. When people have access to safe places to walk within 10 minutes of their home, they are 1.5 times more likely to meet recommended activity levels than those who don't. Comprehensive trail systems can give people the incentive to walk or bike in ways that improve overall health. In addition to the health benefits provided to users, use of this trail will mean that cars will be driven less. A reduction in vehicle miles traveled has a corresponding reduction in vehicle emissions, improving air quality for everyone.

Property Value

According to the National Association of Home Builders, trails are the most desired community amenity that homeowners seek when buying a home. In fact, neighborhood trails located in various cities have reported an increase in property value ranging from 2 to 5 percent. Studies have shown the trails do not adversely affect property values and in some cases increase property values.

Costs and Funding

The estimated total project cost is $6,400,000. This includes project feasibility studies, design, construction, and environmental mitigation. These funds are provided primarily through state and federal grants, which leverage a small amount of local funds. This includes roughly $2,230,000 in Congestion Management and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds, $3,333,000 in Active Transportation Program (ATP) funds, and $40,000 of Federal Earmark Repurposing funds. The remainder of the costs are paid through local sources including New Measure A, and Transportation Development Act funds. There are no general funds planned for this project.

Public Engagement

The City is planning to attend the River Park Neighborhood Association General Meeting in April, 2018 to discuss the preferred design alternative, other alternatives investigated, and the process of delivering the project.

In July, the City anticipates releasing the project Environmental document for review. A public meeting will be held at the beginning of the review period to present the project to the entire community.

Previously, additional efforts have been made to engage the public. In 2006, the community was engaged, and an "Update Citizen's Advisory Committee" was formed as part of a County effort developing the Lower American River Integrated Area Plan Concept. These efforts ultimately began the efforts of extending the trail from Sutter's Landing Park to H Street.

In 2014, the City conducted a small survey within the River Park Neighborhood which included interviews with a River Park Neighborhood Association board member and a few appointed citizens within River Park.

In April 2018, City staff and Council Member Harris attended the River Park Neighborhood Association General Meeting to present on the current status of the project and answer questions from residents. The slideshow from the presentation can be found here.